Margaret River – Quality Wines From The West

The Australian Wine Industry is fortunate to be blessed with a stellar reputation for the quality of the wines that our talented winemakers produce. Across the globe, our wines are highly regarded and widely prized by collectors and consumers alike. The wine industry is now Australia’s fifth largest agricultural exporter and, according to Australian Grape and Wine Inc, pre-covid, some 62% of the almost 800 million litres of wine made from the fruit of over 6,000 Australian growers is exported. And while it’s the high-volume products that have put Australian wine on the radar of international consumers, it’s the low volume premium wines that have carved out a global reputation for quality with collectors and those in the hospitality sector.

By volume, South Australia continues to be the largest producer of Australian wine, but when it comes to the premium products, Tasmania and Western Australia are the domestic “poster child” of our industry. In the case of Tasmania, it produces less than 1% of the national crop but has earned a name for making some world class pinot noir and chardonnay. And while Western Australia produces less than 5% of our national crop, it is reported to be responsible for almost 25% of the nation’s premium wines. If you need any further evidence of the quality of the wines from the west, take a squiz at the Margaret River region – where there are 90-something wineries and a staggering 65+ of them rate as five star in the industry bible, Halliday’s Wine Companion!  An award of 95 plus points is pretty special for a wine – but in the famous region two hours south of Perth, it’s almost a given.

So, what is it about the Margaret River that makes it such an ideal place for perfecting wines of pre-eminence and status?

The region is much larger than the small town from which it takes its moniker – stretching about 100 kms in length and 27 kms across. It’s heavily influenced by the oceans around it – a cool southerly breeze from the Southern Ocean, the currents and maritime influence of the Indian Ocean to the west and somewhat warmer waters of the bay to the north. The soils are said to be ancient, and rainfall is quite low – a bit like Bordeaux in a dry year. The gravel and loam soils are proving themselves to be exceptional sources of nutrition for cabernet and chardonnay – though there’s ample semillon, merlot and sauvignon blanc as well.

There are plenty of big brands in the isolated west – think Moss Wood, Vasse Felix, Voyager, Cullen, Juniper Estate and Leeuwin Estate. But it was a couple of the Icon Wines (as they call them) of the Burch family operation, Howard Park, that renewed my infatuation with the Margaret River styles. Their A.S.W Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend ($75) is now available in the 2020 vintage and is shooting the lights out when it comes to austerity and drinkability. The wine’s name is a tip of the hat to part owner Amy Burch’s parents who coincidentally share the initials A-S-W. The 2020 blend is 70% cabernet and 30% shiraz and breaks the Howard Park mould by not blending Bordeaux varietals and using American Oak as the primary timber of choice. The quality of the famed Leston Vineyard fruit is obvious from the moment that a swirl, swish and sniff whips the olfactory senses into motion. Black Forest cake and Christmas pudding on the nose becomes blueberry, cherries, chocolate and all spice on the palate. The lusciousness of fruit is carefully balanced by undercurrents of savoury olives, bramble and supple tannins. Delightful, delicious, delectable!

Lovers of chardonnay can also rejoice with the release of the 2019 Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay. At a $92 price point, it’s hardly a quaffing style, but it has to be up there with the very best examples from the region. The fruit for this icon wine hails from the Allingham vineyard in the southern part of the Margaret River region near Karridale – where the vines were planted in 2004.  Minimal fining and filtration see a pale straw hue in the glass – a dullness that belies the intensity of aromatic fruit that appears on the palate. Similarities to the Burgundian styles of the same varietal are obvious from the moment you take a whiff as the lemon curd aromas of a French patisserie reveal themselves and transform into characters of peach, pear and guava on the palate. The alluring floral scents of honeysuckle and orange blossom shake a leg with nougat and vanilla through the finish, all-the-while constrained by a gentle chalky acidity through the French oak influenced finish.

The Margaret River might be a relatively small contributor to the national annual harvest, but when it comes to quality, it’s a region that packs a real punch!